I had to make my way to the edge of the path and lean against a tree, rubbing the bridge of my nose and grumbling quietly. This was also a more telling moment than I thought it would be.

  First off, the elephant in the room. Though I struggled to remember what an elephant was I at least got the gist of the saying as it filled my head. Noble e. So, looking at the options I got the impression they were based on my experiences and as thus far. Even ones I could not remember, I would imagine. If that was the case then Courtesan’s Touch was something I used a lot probably. Or at least used in an important situation or two. My mind immediately started puttiails together and I realized, poor dead Bernson and I were the only oill in the armored transport. Everyone else had disembarked, probably to fight against whoever those folks that ambushed us were. It made some sense for an officer to stay inside, especially if he was some high society type. But a random grunt like me? I could think of a reason why he’d let me stay ih him, ohat my skills, spell, and adva option seemed to be hinting was right.

  “Gods fug damn it.” I said, feeling siy stomach at the idea. The revulsion at the cept of fug my anding officer for my safety was extra strong, though I could also see the sense of it. Maybe I was scripted and used what I had avaible to me to survive? My primary css seemed to support that idea, that my first goal is just to make it through another day. But still, the thought of him toug me made my skin crawl. Didn’t really know why though aside from ethical implications. It just felt extra gross. But it also told a story of who I was. Someohat made it when others didn’t. Which, hey, fu’ true enough I suppose.

  But either way, I was not pig that, no hell. Not that I felt I had any problem with sex work in it’s various forms, but I simply knew she couldn’t do that. Though there was a moment of thought where I wondered if maybe having my mind shattered had ged me in some deep way. Who I was before clearly could do that, how much different was I?

  Different enough that I wished I could fug burion from my Status forever.

  [Noble e permaly removed from future Adva Sele options.]

  “Oh. Well that’s good to know.” I let out a sigh and ughed slightly. “Alright me, so Crusader is probably out too, though lets not toss it entirely. Demons may be way more on than I’m thinking and having an edge against them could be useful.” I o myself.

  “Elemental Savant is also low on the choice list, between my ignorance of how they work and my low anima attributes I just don’t know that I make that choice.” I shifted in pd hissed at my leg spiking in pain again for a moment.

  “So, we have Undying Champion aseeker. I pick between being able to get hurt a back up or dish out hurt and make sure my enemy doesn’t get back up.” I tapped my finger on my as I thought. “I see the appeal of both of those options. Being able to survive has been really useful so far. But so was dropping that demon before it reached me.”

  I chewed on my lip as I thought about the choice I was making. Pig between offense and defense was a tough choice. But then my brain caught up with me. “Oh shit, Heartseeker has defeions too! Movement enhas probably means speed and agility!” I felt my smile widen at the realization. “I hurt things and avoid getting hit back at the same time, hell yeah!”

  I focused oseeker for a few moments before the System reized my choice.

  [Basifantry css Advao Heartseeker Css. Skills gained.]

  [Heartbreaker: E – Damage tet vital locations is increased.]

  [Rag Heart: E – Bonus to Coordination gained each level.]

  [Find the Pulse: E – more easily locate hostile targets and more easily identify their vital locations.]

  [Untouchable Heart: E – Increased capability to avoid being harmed.]

  “Oh fuck yes.” I breathed the words out as I quickly looked through the new skills. They were far more simple and cise in description than most of my other skills. I figured that some skills were just too simple to need much description. Though, an alternative thought I had was that maybe they were iionally vague because they did more than they seemed to.

  Well I wasn’t going to figure any of that out just standing there. I pushed forward and started walking again, pulling up my Status as I did and noting that I had in fact gained a single point in Coordination, making it twenty ohe disruption of my nice rounded number bothered me, but not enough that I couldn’t ighe annoyance. My MP, which apparently meant Mana Pool, had gone up by one iime I’d spent looking over options. [MP: 2/60] That seemed like good Mana geion to me, though once more, I was brain damaged and knew nothing.

  However, I was troubled by something else. [HP: 95/240] Yep. I was in fact slowly losih. “Well that’s absolutely wonderful. Fuck, okay, lets try and do something about that.” It took me a moment to get my pack off and dig out a couple of red vials. As I did I turo take a better look at my leg again to see if anything had ged. The gauze around it was… not looking great. The red I expected, the greenish yellow seeping through was less encing. Well the yellow vials were apparently for iions so lets down one of those too while we’re at it and hope a sed dose helps. Not that I had any idea what these actually were and how they worked so maybe I oisoning myself with all these additional treatments but I figured I might just die anyway. Not to mentio warnings didn’t mention anything about overdosing.

  Three empty vials ter I slid my pack bato pd head off again, the pain in my leg lessening again, though I know it was temporary. I gave my health a gce befn it and moving forward. [HP: 195/240] More than half, that at least was good.

  Maybe two hours ter I was suddenly very gd for the break to level up and down some potions. I was walking along and keeping a for anything when I felt a prig on the bay ned a sort of pressure ing from my left. I turned a moment before an ugly pink mass of legs rushed out of the brush at me, a shrill scream letting out just before its cwed arms sshed at my side. I repared though, what I assumed was Sixth Sense warning me of the danger soon enough to throw myself forward. I still felt the skin on my arm split as I dove but it seemed like a small injury, at least pared to getting gutted like it was trying.

  I hit the ground and paihrough me from my leg, but I was able to ig and roll over, bringing my rifle up and putting a hole through the thing’s chest as it turo rush me again. Uhe first of these beasts I faced, this oaggered hard from the first shot. I assumed Heartseeker’s skills were already pulli with that hit. More importantly I noticed something, a detail I don’t think I could have expined. A soft spot on it’s face just below it’s eye, a pce where I think maybe the bone of it’s skull was weaker. I cycled the bolt and adjusted my aim, then blew a hht through it’s head.

  The thing dropped to the ground and stayed still and I quickly looked around, hoping it was alone. Silence followed and I rexed just in time to get a System notification

  [Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 17 defeated.]

  Well, no level up from that. But I’ll take the not dying aspect of it.

  [Experience Shared with tracted Elemental.]

  “I’m sorry what?” I said, turning my gaze to the bands fused to my arm, runes pulsing red. I didn’t get a moment to dwell on it before I heard more shrill cries heading towards me from the foliage. “Fuck fuck fuckity fuck!” I pio the universe as I looked around for means of surviving this. A particurly thick tree was nearby with branches going up that looked strong enough to hold me. I fought through the searing agony in my leg and pulled myself up with less trouble than I was expeg.

  The idea immediately paid off as I could see three more of the ugly shits now that there weren’t bushes blog my view. I took aim a round after round at the charging creatures. Most shots hit, which I knew was impressive all things sidered, but only one dropped before I had to pull out another clip and reload. The sed died just as it rushed into the road, toppling into a screaming mess before it fell silent. The st one made it to the tree with only two retively minor holes in it. I aimed down but it hopped and grabbed the barrel, pulling it, ao the ground.

  I mao ahe fall so the bayo of my rifle cut a line down it’s side and damned ook its arm off, but it wasn’t fatal. Then when I hit the dirt my rifle fell from my grip as pain shocked me too hard to trol for once. I recovered quickly and pulled the revolver from my hip, I leveled the barrel at the creature and pulled the trigger and the world burst with light and fury.

  There was a sound not like a gun going off but like a sudden aremely loud hum. The recoil from the shot nearly threw the gun from my grip and my arm jumped a half meter. I panicked as I struggled to pull the aim back for a sed shot but as I looked at the thing I realized its head was missing. Also there was a crater iree oher side of it. The few seds before the body toppled over were dht ical.

  I looked at the gun in my hand and saw runes down the length of the barrel, a soft blue glow gradually decreasing until the runes disappeared entirely. “Holy fug shit. Not just a pretty gun I guess.” I ughed in shod pulled myself to my feet.

  I hurt everywhere. I g my health [HP: 117/240]. “One one seveh.” I gri the dead demons and spoke reflexively, shifting my voice to be deep and dramatic “Were it so easy.” Then wondered where the urge to do that came from.

  [Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 16 defeated]

  [Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 15 defeated]

  [Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 19 defeated]

  [Experiehreshold reached, you are now level 12]

  [Experience shared with tracted Elemental]

  [tracted Elemental Experiehreshold reached, it is now level 1]

  “I, what Elemental? Wait.” I looked at my arm and the runes on the bands glowed a bright red just before pain seared through my arm again. “Sonofa WHORE!” I found myself screaming as I fell to the road clutg at the leather trying to bee a part of me. But just like st time, darkness pulled at me.

  But just before the lights went out entirely, I heard a voice “Don’t worry, I’ve got you love.” and then, nothing.